Velocity Adjusting System and Method for Closed Bolt Paintball Marker

ABSTRACT

The improved method of adjusting the velocity of a closed bolt paintball marker is comprised of a wrench with a recessed channel designed to fit over the reduced diameter mid section of a modified cocking rod. This allows the wrench to be used to rotate the velocity adjusting nut without the need to remove the cocking rod from the marker&#39;s hammer assembly. This permits faster and more accurate changes to the velocity of the paintball as it leaves the barrel of the marker.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the method of adjusting the velocity of the expelled paintball of a paintball gun or marker, and has particular application to markers utilizing a closed bolt system of propelling the projectile.

In this specification, it should be understood that the word “velocity” relates to the rate of travel that a paintball leaves the barrel of a paintball marker. Typically, this rate is measured in feet per second and is recorded using a stationary or handheld radar velocity-measuring device. The velocity of a paintball marker is regulated to avoid unnecessary injury to the participants.

There are two common methods for adjusting the velocity of a paintball marker. For an open bolt marker, a marker that fires while the bolt is withdrawn from the breech; increasing or reducing the operating pressure of the marker's main air regulator alters the velocity. While the same adjustment in a closed bolt marker or marker that fires with the bolt inserted into the breech of the gun will affect the velocity, changing a closed bolt marker's operating pressure from the desired setting will cause erratic variations in the velocity of the marker. Closed bolt markers are typically adjust velocity by increasing or decreasing the tension on the hammer spring located between the hammer assembly and the velocity adjusting nut. As the velocity adjusting nut is moved to increase the tension on the hammer spring, the velocity will increase due to the increased force placed on the hammer assembly when it is released to strike the valve. The increased force causes the valve to open for a longer interval thus allowing more air to propel the projectile out of the maker. Conversely, when the velocity adjusting nut is moved to decrease the tension on the hammer spring, the hammer will strike the valve with less force. The reduced force shortens the interval where the valve is open thus causing less air to pass through to propel the paintball.

Conventional closed bolt paintball markers have the velocity adjusted by first removing the cocking rod from the hammer assembly. Second, a wrench is inserted into the velocity adjusting nut to adjust the tension of the hammer spring. The wrench is removed and the cocking rod is reinserted into the hammer assembly. The marker is test fired and measured for projectile velocity. If the desired velocity is not achieved, the process is repeated. This method of adjusting velocity is time consuming and frustrating to participants. This frustration may lead to participants not properly adjusting the velocity of the marker, which can cause injury to others, who are involved in the sport.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a more efficient method of adjusting the velocity with respect to a closed bolt paintball marker. The system does not require any disassembly of the paintball marker or replacement of any internal components. A cocking rod with a smaller diameter mid section is provided as a replacement for the standard cocking rod. The outer ends and length of the new cocking rod are consistent with the standard cocking rod allowing the user to reattach the cocking rod bumper and cocking rod knob to the new cocking rod. Since the standard cocking rod is removed as part of the normal operation of a closed bolt marker thus it is not consistent with disassembly of the marker. The provided wrench is then used in conjunction with the smaller diameter cocking rod to adjust velocity without the necessity of removing the cocking rod from the marker.

Since no alterations are made to the marker itself, the marker can be returned to the original condition with little effort. If the provided wrench is lost or misplaced, the velocity of the marker can still be adjusted using the standard method.

BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings to better describe and illustrate the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the hammer assembly with the standard cocking rod, velocity adjusting nut and hammer spring inserted into the back of the marker body.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the cocking rod of the invention illustrating the smaller diameter mid section.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cocking rod of the invention with a common cocking knob and cocking bumper attached.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the wrench of the invention illustrating the channel in the lower end of the wrench.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the wrench of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective illustration of the wrench in position over the cocking rod and inserted into the velocity adjusting nut.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the cocking rod assembly of a closed bolt, gas operated paintball marker, and particularly to the method of adjusting the velocity at which a paintball is discharged from said paintball marker. As seen in FIG. 1, the cocking rod 1 consists of a cylindrical shaped object with a means of attaching a cocking rod knob 8 and cocking rod bumper 9 to one end of the cylinder and the ability to affix the hammer assembly 4 at the other end of the cylinder. The cocking rod 1 is inserted laterally through the back block 7 of the marker body, velocity adjusting nut 2 and the hammer spring 3 until it is attached to the hammer assembly 4.

In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 the improved cocking rod is illustrated. The outer end 1 consists of the original diameter and means to attach the cocking rod knob (FIG. 1, 8) and the cocking rod bumper (FIG. 1, 7) to the end of the cylindrical rod 1. The mid section of the rod 2 is the reduced diameter that allows the wrench to be inserted between the rod and the internal portion of the velocity adjusting nut (FIG. 1, 2). The opposing end 3 is consistent with the original diameter and means of attachment to the hammer assembly (FIG. 1, 4). FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrate the design of the wrench. The wrench is configured in, but not limited to, an “L” shape with one solid, longer section 1 and a typically shorter section with a recessed channel 2 that matches the smaller diameter, mid section of the cocking rod (FIG. 2, 2). The cross sectional shape of the wrench 3 is designed consistent with the center of the velocity adjusting nut.

FIG. 6 depicts the wrench 2 being placed over the cocking rod 1. The recessed channel in the wrench (FIG. 4, 2) slides over the mid section of the cocking rod (FIG. 2, 2). The wrench 2 is then moved laterally along the cocking rod 1 and inserted into the velocity adjusting nut 3. Adjustments to the velocity adjusting nut 3 can now be performed with the wrench 2 without the need to remove the cocking rod 1. 

1. A velocity adjusting system for a gas operated, closed bolt paintball marker having a velocity adjusting system comprising: a cocking rod with a cocking rod knob and cocking rod bumper affixed to one end a hammer assembly with means to be connected mechanically to the cocking rod a velocity adjusting nut inserted into the marker body with lateral movement a hammer spring held in tension between the velocity adjusting nut and the hammer assembly.
 2. The system of claim 1 comprising: a cocking rod with reduced diameter in the mid section of the rod a hex wrench with a channel consistent with the reduced diameter of the cocking rod instructions for installation and use and a container for the cocking rod, wrench and instructions.
 3. The method of using the velocity adjusting system in claim 1 to adjust the velocity of a closed bolt paintball marker comprising the steps of: removing the original cocking rod from the hammer assembly, removing the cocking knob and cocking bumper from the original cocking rod, attaching the cocking knob and cocking bumper to the replacement cocking rod with the smaller diameter in the mid section, attach the cocking rod with the smaller diameter mid section to the hammer assembly with it passing through the velocity adjusting nut and the hammer spring, place channel of the wrench over the mid section of the smaller diameter cocking rod, slide wrench into the velocity adjusting nut, and turn nut to achieve desired tension of the hammer spring. 